1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to healing of wounds and wound-treatment therapies. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, the present invention relates to fluid-instillation and negative-pressure wound therapies.
2. Background Information
Clinical studies and practice have shown that providing a reduced pressure in proximity to a tissue site augments and accelerates the growth of new tissue at the tissue site. The applications of this phenomenon are numerous, but application of reduced pressure has been particularly successful in treating wounds. This treatment (frequently referred to in the medical community as “negative pressure wound therapy,” “reduced pressure therapy,” or “vacuum therapy”) provides a number of benefits, including faster healing and increased formulation of granulation tissue. Typically, reduced pressure is applied to tissue through a wound insert (e.g., a porous pad or other manifold device). The wound insert typically contains cells or pores that are capable of distributing reduced pressure to the tissue and channeling fluids that are drawn from the tissue. The wound insert can be incorporated into a wound dressing having other components that facilitate treatment, such as, for example, a drape (e.g., adhesive surgical drape). Instillation of fluids (e.g., irrigation fluids and/or medicaments) may be used in conjunction with negative pressure wound therapy to promote healing and/or improve efficacy.
While NPWT has been highly successful in the promotion of wound closure, healing many wounds previously thought largely untreatable, some difficulty remains. With current negative-pressure and/or fluid-instillation systems, leaks may occur at the dressing site due to the presence of fluid (e.g., instillation fluids, body fluids, etc.) and/or due to such fluids being forced to the perimeter of a wound insert (e.g., a foam wound insert). Such fluids may interact with the adhesive between the drape and adjacent healthy skin, and can lead to failure and leakage, thus requiring removal of a wound dressing and application of a new dressing. Such removal and re-application can be detrimental to a patient as the wound is exposed to external atmosphere (e.g., bacteria, contaminants, and the like). Further, fluid forced to the edges of wound can pool and/or macerate/damage the periwound skin and/or intact skin.